New Mexico gained 23 private sector, nonfarm establishments in 2012, and its annual private sector payroll grew by $342 million as the state limped out of the recession, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The number of private sector establishments totaled 43,883 in March of 2012, compared to 43,860 the previous March, according to the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns annual report. The state's annual payroll increased to $22.38 billion from $22 billion.

The average annual wage for all private sector establishments in 2012 was $37,132 compared to $36,878 in 2011.

Fifteen percent of New Mexico’s establishments were retail businesses, and the average wage for retail workers in New Mexico in 2012 was $24,400, the lowest in the region.

Here’s a look at the average annual retail wages in surrounding states: